Samsung Launching Larger-Size Smartphone In Japan

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese unit of Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea said Thursday it will launch a larger-size smartphone in Japan on Nov. 16, a move that will accelerate competition in the market ahead of the year-end shopping season.

The Galaxy Note II has a 5.5-inch organic electroluminescence display, larger than most other smartphones, and is capable of connecting to high-speed data communication using the LTE network service, the company said.

The smartphone, which runs on Google Inc.'s Android operating system, is equipped with a stylus to enable users to handwrite notes on the device, it said.

"It has an advantage of a tablet computer as well as convenience and user-friendliness of a premium smartphone," Cho Hong Sik, head of Samsung Electronics Japan Co., said at a news conference in Tokyo.

Cho said the company has sold more than 3 million units of the device worldwide in one month since its launch in September.